Realm of Shadow
by hyruleheroin
Summary: Link is called to go on another world-saving quest in a new, sinister realm. Ganondorf is resurrected and has discovered a weapon that may be able to wipe out light forever. But reuniting with an old friend might just make the danger worthwhile. [Twilight Princess]
1. Chapter 1

Hello there! Hyruleheroin(e) here, checking in after about four years! When I was replaying Twilight Princess I was struck by the unshakable urge to continue this story, but I can't for the life of me remember my old password... I'm not sure if anyone who used to read it is still lurking around, but I hope all you new readers enjoy it! I'll be uploading the other 3 chapters I have written shortly after a bit of editing/adding a few things.

Please enjoy, and thank you for reading!

Peace ruled the land of Hyrule. One year ago, a brave Hero had rid the land of evil and destruction. The rightful rulers of Hyrule and the land of Twilight alike had been restored. Every person of every race was able to sleep soundly.

...Save for one person.

The one who everyone would expect to rest easiest was troubled by sleepless nights, and this night was no exception.

Link, The Hero of Time who had freed two worlds of evil, tossed and turned in his bed, plagued by nightmares. His dreams were riddled with memories he would just as soon forget.

_Ganondorf raised himself up from the ground and locked eyes with Link. "Do not think it ends here." His voice was surprisingly strong for someone who had just been run through with a sword. "The history of light and shadow will be written in blood!"_

He groaned and tossed...

_Midna stood in front of the Mirror of Twilight. She couldn't be leaving. What would Link do without her around? Without her sarcasm, forceful encouragement, and even some occasional kindness? She looked at him and something rolled down her cheek... It couldn't be a tear, could it?_

_He wanted to say something to her, tell her what he thought of her... How he felt about her. After spending so long with someone under the circumstances Link and Midna were under together, it would be impossible for at least one of the parties involved to develop feelings for the other._

_Link didn't know if it would be a stretch to call what he felt love._

_"Link..." She wiped the tear away from her face, and although it started floating, he couldn't move his eyes away from her beautiful face. "I..." What? She what? Could it be possible that she-_

_"See you later..." Link watched helplessly as the Mirror of Twilight cracked and as Midna ran up the stairs made of light and disappeared. The Mirror shattered, and Link knew she was completely gone._

...And turned...

_Link hated hurting her. He loved Ilia, but not in the way she wanted him to. He tried to love her in a romantic way, really. After all, who else but his childhood crush would be able to make him forget Midna? Ilia was the one he wanted to want, but it was all a wasted effort._

_"There's someone else, isn't there?" Her big, wounded eyes were gazing up at him, glistening with what he hoped weren't tears. She wiped at her eyes and took a shaky breath. "Someone you meant on your grand adventures?" She attempted to alleviate some awkwardness with a joke, "I couldn't imagine you falling for Beth."_

_Link smiled tightly. "Yes," his voice was stiff, this situation was making him uncomfortable, "she isn't from Ordon."_

_"So, you'll be leaving Ordon to be with her, right?" She sighed sadly and her eyes grew distant. She was just being polite, it was obvious, but Link didn't notice._

_"That would be... Impossible." As guilty as he felt, he was feeling self-pity, too._

_"I always thought it would be you and me, Link."_

_"I did, too."_

The scene mercifully faded away as the morning light filtered through Link's window. He had only a few minutes of peaceful sleep before a voice outside of his tree house woke him.

"Link!" His eyes cracked open slowly and tried to place where the voice was coming from.

"Link!" He groaned, sat up, and rubbed eyes with the heels of his hands, trying to shake away his dreams.

"LinkLinkLink!" He swung his legs over the side of his bed and walked in a stupor over to his window.

"...Colin? What are you doing here? You're already back from Castle Town?" A few days earlier, Colin had gone with some men of Ordon to sell the town's livestock at Castle Town. Link had offered to go with, but Colin, in his quest to grow up, said he needed to 'do things on his own.' It made some sense in a little kid kind of way... Well, it almost made sense.

Colin nodded vigorously. "I have something important to tell you Link!"

Link rubbed his eyes eyes again and nodded. "Alright. I'll be down in one minute." Colin nodded and Link turned away from the window. He quickly made himself presentable: he changed into his standard garb- he had never switched back from the hero's green tunic after returning to Ordon- ran his fingers through his hair, rubbed his eyes one last time, and walked out the door.

Colin was sitting at the foot of the ladder when Link reached the ground. "How did the trip go?"

Colin's face lit up and he jumped to his feet. "We sold all of the goats! And I met Princess Zelda!" Before Link could even get in a, "That's great," Colin continued in a rush of words. Link didn't think he had ever heard him talk so much. "She recognized us as Ordonians by our clothes, and asked _me_ to deliver a message to you.

"The Princess said, 'Please tell Link that I need his counsel urgently.' She looked worried, you don't think that Hyrule is in danger again, do you?"

After Link comprehended what Colin told him, that was exactly what he thought, but he didn't want to worry his young friend. "I'm sure that's not it. But I should probably leave immediately." Colin had only asked the question to gain reassurance that Hyrule was not in danger, but comforting had never been Link's forte. However, he didn't notice the little boy's face crease in worry. Link's mind was already busy with things he would have to do before he left: he would have to saddle Epona, and probably practice his swordplay- no, he could do that on the way to the Castle, there were always beasts to fight with in Hyrule field. Since all of the livestock was just sold, he didn't have to worry about the ranch...

There wasn't much for him to take care of at all.

"Do you think you're going to have to leave for a long time again?"

Link, lost in his own thoughts, didn't hear the worry in Colin's voice. "Maybe," he mumbled. He caught sight of Colin's worried face and realized how stupid he was being. "I mean, I'm sure I'll be back soon, but you'll have to protect the village while I'm gone, okay?"

A determined look passed over the boy's face. "You can count on me, Link!"

Link smiled, but all he could think about was how miserable another quest would be without Midna. But of course, there was no way he could have known what exactly was waiting for him at Hyrule Castle.


	2. Chapter 2

When the pair Hm. This chapter is mostly explanations and things, so bear with me. The next chapter is sure to be action-packed! Yippee! And now, please enjoy!

Link told as few people as he could about his leaving. He didn't want a fuss and managed to leave quietly within a few hours of his conversation with Colin.

As he neared Castle Town, a knot formed in his stomach and his chest tightened with worry. He couldn't fathom what was so pressing that Princess Zelda needed his urgent counsel. The Princess was not incompetent or weak; she knew how to keep her kingdom safe, so if she was asking for his help, she really needed it.

Epona seemed to sense Link's worry, because she was running faster than usual without Link having to push her.

However, when he reached Castle Town, Link's worry seemed all for nothing. The cheerful hustle and bustle of the town wasn't missing. As he made his way through the town square to the castle, people pushed past him and each other, chattering about everything from prices of various wares to town gossip.

"Fifty rupees? I would have walked out, too-"

"Did you hear? Their marriage is on the rocks-"

"Hurry, brudda, this spring water cools fast-"

But all of the noise faded away to silence as Link approached the castle. Common townsfolk didn't go on the northern path to the castle; the only people from where Link stood to the entrance of the castle were two guards by the large castle doors. Even they seemed at ease. When he introduced himself, they just nodded politely and offered to lead him to Princess Zelda's chamber.

"They are waiting for you to start," one explained with a small smile. No, "Thank Goddess you are here, Hero of Time." No, "Hero, the Princess has been waiting impatiently for your arrival, something seems to be wrong." Neither said a thing that would give Link the impression anything was wrong. He decided that he could safely assume any danger to Hyrule was not imminent.

Link was so lost in his thoughts he didn't hear the guard say "They" were waiting for him. He might have wondered who the other person was if he had heard, but instead he just followed one of the guards, through the courtyard and up a long, winding staircase to the Princess's chamber.

The guard announced his arrival, and stepped aside to let Link enter the room.

He only stepped one foot through the door, however, before he was shocked still. Princess Zelda was standing in the center of the room, looking regal and benevolent as she always did, but that wasn't what shocked Link.

Standing next to Zelda was the woman who had haunted Link's dreams for a year. Although Midna wasn't in the form that Link had grown accustomed to, her tall, stunningly beautiful form was the one he couldn't forget.

She looked the exact same as she did the day she went through the Mirror of Twilight for, what Link thought was, the last time. Her bluish skin seemed to glow in the dim candle light of Princess Zelda's chamber, and her reddish hair framed her face perfectly- To say the least: She was like a vision to Link.

He felt his mouth drop open slightly, and her own mouth twisted into a teasing smile that had so often graced her face when she was in the form of an imp.

"Link, why do you look so surprised?" She crossed the room in a few long strides and grabbed Link's hands. "Unless time passes differently in the Light Realm than it does in the Twilight Realm, it's only been a year." _Only a year?_ Was the only thing that came into Link's mind; otherwise, it was blank.

"Well, I suppose a year is a long time, but have you forgotten me already?" Her smile widened and she lead him over to two chairs, pushing him gently down into one of them and sitting in the one next to it. "Or maybe you were expecting an imp to greet you?"

Link shook his head and found his voice. He was glad that in their time apart Midna hadn't changed; she was acting the same as she always had. He grinned, all thoughts of danger to Hyrule pushed out of his mind. "I'm just surprised to see you."

"Please, you two," Link almost jumped at the sound of the Princess's voice; he had forgotten about her, "now is not the time for pleasantries. We have serious matters to attend to." She took a seat across from Link and Midna. Now that the guard was gone, she did look worried. Her face was creased and there were shadows under her eyes like she hadn't been getting enough sleep.

Link bowed his head to her like he should have done when he first entered the room, but said, "Can I just ask one thing?"

Zelda nodded and Link went on, "How is Midna here? Wasn't the Mirror of Twilight shattered?"

"Yes, but it wasn't destroyed forever," she was speaking quickly and dismissively as if Link should have already understood, "The pieces were merely scattered by Midna's magic, and I used my own magic to call them back together." Link looked at Midna and she shrugged.

"But that isn't what we're here to talk about." She sighed and stood back up, walking to the window and gazing out of it for a few moments before she continued. "I fear Ganondorf is going to return."

Link looked at Midna again to gauge her reaction; he felt like this was all a big joke, but her face was mirroring the shock he felt.

"But that's, ah, that's impossible." Midna's composure only slipped for a fraction of a second when she spoke, and Link admired her strength. "You and Link killed him."

Zelda turned away from the window, her expression grave. "That is what I thought, too. But when going over some Ancient texts I found something... Troubling. Those chosen by the Goddesses," she met Link's eyes, and his right hand automatically went to the top his left hand, where the Triforce, the mark that showed he was a chosen one, lay, "are given great strength, as you already know. And I'm sure you already know that the Sages attempted, and failed, to execute Ganondorf once. The fact that he was Chosen saved him from death."

"I thought it was the Triforce that saved him," Midna interjected.

"And the Triforce disappeared when I killed him," Link added.

"I tell you: He's not dead!" Zelda let out a long breath. "I'm sorry, I haven't finished explaining yet.

"What I read told me that it is not the physical Triforce that provided him protection; we were all mistaken. The physical Triforce is only a representation of the Goddess' selection. In fact, the Triforce allows the chosen ones to be reborn several times. Throughout history, there have been other records of heroes, such as you, Link, princesses, such as myself, and evil traitors, such as Ganondorf. It seems that if a physical body of a chosen one is killed, his or her spirit remains until an opportunity for them to be reborn arises."

What the Sages did when you killed Ganondorf was foolish. The triforce binds the spirit of a chosen one to a specific body, when they are reborn, their body will always be recognizable. Without the triforce, the spirit is freed and could come back as anyone. Ganondorf was more powerful than we knew, but someone should have foreseen this." Zelda didn't say who specifically was to blame for missing this important fact, but it seemed to Link that she was blaming herself.

"But if Ganondorf is reborn he won't really be a threat to us, right? Won't he be a baby then?"

A troubled look passed over Zelda's face and her voice tremorred slightly. "That's what I thought, too. H-However, I believe that Ganondorf was powerful enough so that, when his body died, he could remain in control of his spirit. It is likely that he will or has already possessed someone. We will have no way of knowing who he is until it's too late."

Before Link's racing mind didn't even have time to comprehend what the Princess told them before she began again.

"But that's not the worst part." She walked over to a desk by the door and picked up a large, ancient-looking book. "This book contains accounts of the different realms, such as this, the Light Realm, and yours, Midna, the Twilight Realm. The troubling thing is..." She paused and flipped through the book. "Is that another realm apparently exists. It is called the Shadow Realm." She ran her finger down the page and began to read:

"The Shadow Realm, sometimes called the Dark World or Demon World, is an evil realm that is the polar opposite of the Light Realm. Whereas the Realms of Light and Twilight are partners in keeping the universe's peace, the Shadow Realm stands for evil and destruction. Only those chosen by the Goddesses can move from the Light or Twilight Realm into the Shadow Realm. The only exception is if a Chosen One leads another into the Shadow Realm, or if the portals between the worlds are opened. The latter would surely cause destruction for every world involved."

Inside of the Shadow Realm is a weapon, a sword, that's power rivals that of the Master Sword of the Light Realm. It can only by attained by-" The Princess stopped.

"Go on," Link said eagerly. This was troublesome for sure. If Ganondorf could take over the other Realm like he took over the Realm of Twilight, the world could be destroyed.

"The rest is gone."

"What do you mean, gone?"

Zelda turned the book so Link and Midna could see. There was a jagged line where a page had been ripped out. "I found this book in the throne room after we thought Ganondorf was defeated. It is my suspicion that Ganondorf found this book, and is now planning to take over the Shadow Realm." She sighed and then stated the obvious:

"We have to stop him."


	3. Chapter 3

A short silence followed Princess Zelda's announcement that they would have to stop Ganondorf from taking control of the Shadow Realm.

Midna broke it by mirroring Link's thoughts. "Well, of course we do. The question is: How?"

The Princess assured them, "You do not need to worry; I have a plan. We, of course, need to infiltrate the Shadow Realm and destroy the weapon that resides there. The book did not explain how to get into the Shadow Realm, but it's likely that the portal is at the Arbiter's Grounds. Possibly near the Mirror of Twilight. Since the Arbiter's Ground is where the most evil outlaws were held, and the Shadow Realm contains everything evil, it made sense to me."

Link and Midna both nodded. "Well, Link," Midna looked at him with a grin that was out of place given the circumstances, "it looks like we're off on another adventure."

Despite the dire circumstances they were in, Link couldn't hold back a smile, too. He had wanted to go on another adventure, he really did, and now that Midna was back, what could go wrong? They had defeated Ganondorf once before, after all.

"Please, Link, Midna, this is not a joke." The Princess stared disapprovingly at them.

"We don't think it's a joke. This is a serious situation." Link was embarrassed. He felt like he was a little kid in school again, getting in trouble for talking with Ilia. He was even making excuses for his behavior. He exchanged glances with Midna, and she stifled a giggle before putting on a serious face.

"I'm sorry, Zelda," Midna said. Link would have believed her sincere tone if he didn't know her better. "It's just, Link and I haven't seen each other in so long, and we're looking forward to travelling together again."

Princess Zelda's expression didn't soften. "This is not something to get excited about. We are going to a place that is the epitome of evil. Please do not treat this as simply an 'adventure.'" She continued quickly as though she was afraid of Link or Midna interrupting again. "We will set out immediately," she announced. "With the power of Light and Twilight's magic, as well as Link's battle sense and the Master Sword, we should be nearly indestructible. My last mistake was thinking Ganondorf could be defeated by Light alone."

"Don't blame yourself, Zelda," Midna said kindly. "There's no way anyone could have foreseen this."

"Perhaps not," she murmured softly. "Either way, we need to hurry. However, I'm anxious about leaving Castle Town defenseless. It seems imprudent to leave one of us behind, because any one of us would be useless against Ganondorf on our own, but leaving the city without anyone watching over it leaves us open to any invaders. It goes against everything I stand for as the ruler." She sat back down in her chair and her eyes drifted off, seemingly lost in thought.

"I think we should go." Link hadn't given much input during this meeting so far, but the Princess was right, they did need to act quickly. "If we stay and wait for Ganondorf, it will be too late to stop him. Our best chance of saving Hyrule is trying to prevent Ganondorf from getting the Shadow Master Sword, right?"

"Yes, of course that is the best road to take, you're right. I just can't help but worry." She then said with a dismissive wave of her hand, "Oh well, it can't be helped. We must set out at once." She stood, and Link and Midna did the same.

"The Twilight Portals were dispelled after the Mirror of Twilight was broken," Midna said as they left the room. "How will we get to the desert?"

"Although it will be most... Undignified, we are going to have to get there by cannon." Link had to hold back a laugh at the look of disgust that passed over Zelda's face at the prospect of doing something so below royalty standards, and they again at the thought of the two Princesses he was with actually using the cannon at Lake Hylia.

"Please do not mention this to anyone." As the three entered the throne room, Zelda's voice lowered until it was barely above a confidential whisper. "I know of a few people who would take advantage of knowing such compromising information." By which, of course, she meant: _I would never live it down._

"Yes, well, that aside," the Princess' voice rose back to normal volume, and she was business-like again, "I only need to grab my sword and we will be on our way. Midna, would you like a weapon? It would be no trouble to stop by the armory."

"Oh no, I wouldn't want to embarrass myself."

"That is perfectly-" Zelda stopped short and Link almost ran into her. "Link," her voice was urgent, "is your triforce glowing?" She held out her hand, and he saw that the triangle marking on her hand was dully illuminated.

Link pulled off his gauntlet and, sure enough, his triforce symbol was glowing as well. "Do you know what this means?"

He didn't, but the distress in her voice was worrying him. He shook his head and she began to look around the throne room frantically. It was deserted except for two guards near the exit doors. "The symbols glow when all three Chosen One's gather together."

Link's blood ran cold. Were they too late? How were they supposed to recognize Ganondorf without his triforce? How could they tell if a person was possessed?

"You, guards!" Princess Zelda barked, causing everyone in the room to jump. "Come here!" The two guards snapped to order and hurried over to the Princess.

"Yes, Your Highness?" They squeaked in unison.

"Have you let anyone into the castle since Link?" She spoke harshly and tried and failed to examine them discreetly. "Has anyone else entered at all today?"

They shook their heads together. One tried to answer, but he could only open and close his mouth a few times before retreating into a frightened silence. Link was a little afraid of the Princess himself. She was emitting an aura of intense, domineering power that made her seem taller than everyone else in the room. If she was directing her interrogation at him, he was sure he wouldn't be able to keep his spear from shaking either.

"Princess," he said in an undertone, leaning forward so the guards wouldn't hear him, "Ganondorf thinks very highly of himself. I doubt he would find a guard worthy of possessing."

She seemed to consider his words and then gave him one, curt nod. He hoped the guards appreciated that Zelda valued his opinion.

Her gaze on the guards softened, but her tone stayed commanding. "Thank you, both of you, for your help. I would like you both to return home for the rest of the day. I will inform you when you can return to your duties." Link understood although the guards didn't. If they stayed in the castle their lives would be in danger.

One of the guards finally found his voice. "Y-Your Highness, you mean to say that you want us to leave the castle unguarded?"

"The three of us," she motioned to herself, Link, and Midna, "will be more than enough protection for the castle." She spoke faster as the triforce glowed brighter. "Now, if you would please hurry. We need... We need the throne room to ourselves. And please inform the guards outside as well."

The guards exchanged glances, but didn't move. "Are... Are you positive about this, Your-"

"Go! _Now_!" The Princess bellowed, pointing at the door. Unable to keep a note of panic out of her voice, however, it cracked at the beginning of her second word. The guards ran out of the room in as quickly as they would have if a hoard of Bulbins were chasing them.

Before their footfalls even disappeared, a loud crack sounded from the courtyard. Zelda let out a short gasp and the three heroes ran to the door. They reached the courtyard too late, however. Ganondorf was standing over the crumpled bodies of the two guards, staring down at them with a smirk on his green face. Death did not seem to have changed him. His body looked the same as it did the last time Link had seen him, although Link distinctly remember stabbing him with the Master Sword.

"I thought..." Zelda's voice was strained and her face was distraught. "I thought they would escape in time."

Her voice alerted Ganondorf of their presence. His head shot up and his smirk transformed into a friendly smile, as though the four were old friends. He took his time approaching them, stepping over the two guards without giving them a backward glance. It was only when he came closer that Link noticed something different about him. His irises, which used to glow an amber color, were now an unsettling pitch black.

"Hello, Princess," Ganondorf said mockingly, stopping a few feet in front of Zelda. She, like Link, was having trouble keeping shock off of her face.

He took a step to block her from Ganondorf- she was the Princess, after all- but she put a hand on his arm and said in an undertone, "Link, don't be a fool."

Ganondorf's eyes flashed in amusement and he turned on Link. "It's good to see you, _Hero of Time_," he spat the title out as though it tasted terribly, "I've been waiting to avenge my last body. This one," he motioned to himself, "came from the Shadow Realm." Link, Midna, and Princess Zelda all gasped. "Yes, I could travel through Realms freely without a body, and it was no trouble possessing this one, which looked exactly like my old body out of the cover of the Shadow Realm. Except the eyes, but I think that has to do with the possession, not the body itself."

Although Link had no idea what Ganondorf was talking about, it was bad enough that he had simply been in the Shadow Realm.

"That aside," Ganondorf continued with a nonchalant wave of his hand, "I am here to defeat you."

"Do not think it will be so easy!" Link growled, drawing his sword.

"Yes," Ganondorf agreed, surprising Link so much that his arm dropped from readying to strike to down by his side, "I would much rather take control of the Light and Twilight Realms, then let the inhabitants watch me defeat you, rather than do it right now. That _will _take a little bit of time... Although less than I thought, seeing as both rulers are here in front of me." He ginned a triumphant grin that Link intended to knock off of his face. However, Ganondorf wasn't done with his rant. He eyed Midna when he opened his mouth again, and his tone became goading.

"I considered taking the Twilight Realm first, since it is obviously the weaker Realm, but decided it would be prudent to save easier things for last. During my last attempt, it proved useless, and the people, spineless. It will be a gentle warm up for when I take over the Shadow Realm."

His words had the desired effect. Midna's face was affronted, and when she spoke it was in a low voice. "How. Dare. You." With each word her eyes narrowed dangerously and she took a confrontational step toward him. A dark aura was forming around her, reminding Link that she could do magic.

"Midna, please, we all need to face him together."

But Zelda's words were doing nothing to calm Midna down. With each step toward Ganondorf, the darkness was solidifying, and, frankly, it was starting to frighten Link. Her eyes flashed dangerously, and she continued, "How dare you insult my people like-" She stopped with a choking noise, now silent and unmoving.

Ganondorf was watching her with a smirk on his face, his hand outstretched, palm out, in a halt position. "Do you really think that your pitiful Twili magic is any use against my own?" His hand closed into a fist, Midna's eyes rolled back into her head, and she collapsed.

"Midna!" Link was torn between the desire to run to Midna and the desire to kill Ganondorf for harming her. After a split second of indecision, he chose on the latter. He raised his sword again, but Ganondorf only let out an amused laugh.

"The pitiful Twilight Princess's dog is protecting her, how sweet." Ganondorf waved his hand at him like he was swatting away a bug.

"You bas-" But before Link could get out a whole insult, an invisible force knocked him in the chest, forcing all of his breath out of him. Stars swam in front of his eyes and he fell to his knees.

He heard Ganondorf's triumphant voice, "You're lucky I'm feeling charitable, Hero of Time. This could have been much worse," saw the ground rushing toward him, and then knew no more.


	4. Chapter 4

This is the last chapter I had written before the hiatus, so it's all new content after this! Enjoy!

Link awoke to the feeling of the sun on his face. He had a strange feeling in the back of his mind that he was just waking up from a terrible dream, although that wasn't unusual as of late.

Something to do with Midna... And Ganondorf. And the Princess, perhaps. He couldn't quite-

Suddenly, Link's mind snapped back to reality. He felt like a fool; he wasn't dreaming, he had passed out. Although it made his head throb to do so, he opened his eyes and tried to gauge his surroundings. He surely would be somewhere dark and frightening where he would have to perform a series of complicated tasks and defeat scores of merciless enemies to escape from, as per usual. He thought that he would be separated from Zelda and Midna and would have to go through mazes upon mazes to reunite with them.

So, needless say, when he opened his eyes he wasn't expecting to see Midna's face peering into his own.

"Link!" Her voice was louder than absolutely necessary, and after Link recovered from the shock of the beautiful princess's face being so close to his own, and the relief that she was alright, the noise sent pain coursing through his head.

He had a hopeful thought: Maybe everything about Ganondorf was a dream. Maybe he had just had a rough night at Telma's Bar. Could it be that Midna had come back, they went out to celebrate, and he had a bad dream due to all of the alcohol?

"What happened?" He groaned, foolishly hoping for the best.

Midna's face retreated from his line of vision, causing his head to ache even more; she had been blocking the sunlight from his eyes. He squinted and sat up slowly, putting his hope of a wild night out causing his headache. They were still in the courtyard, now empty with the exception of the deceased guards.

"I'm not sure. When I woke up Princess Zelda and Ganondorf were both gone. And I thought you might have been-" She looked away and her eyes darkened for a moment. "But- but you're fine."

Link was recovering quickly- he had been hurt worse before- and stood up. Midna followed suit and they stood for a few minutes, uselessly staring at each other.

"Now what?"

Link forced out a humorless laugh. "I was hoping you would have some ideas. When we were on our last quest you always knew exactly what to do."

A tight smile came over Midna's face and she crossed her arms as if she was cold. "During our last quest I had a plan. Now I have no idea what is even going on."

That was true. Last time Link had been called upon to save Hyrule, his succeeding hinged on Midna's plan. Now neither of them had so much as a clue of where to start.

Link put forth an idea, though he couldn't take credit for coming up with it. "We need to get to the Shadow Realm and destroy the weapon there. If Ganondorf had already found it, I'm sure he would have bragged about it."

Midna didn't seem convinced. "We have no way to know where Ganondorf took Princess Zelda, and we have no chance of stopping him until we find her. He may have gone back to the Shadow Realm to find the Other Master Sword and locked her up somewhere. We need to find the Princess first."

Were they really going to start arguing so soon? "But he might have taken her with him. Ganondorf must have separated us from her because he knew we all need to combine our power to face him..."

"Or maybe he thought she had information on the sword. Yes, she's probably with him, you're right."

Link let out a soft sigh of relief. "Alright. We need to go to go immediately." Link felt strange taking control of the situation; he was usually the one following orders.

Midna began to walk briskly toward the courtyard's entrance and Link fell in step with her.

"I was just thinking," Midna said, her voice serious and business-like, but a frown tugged at the edges of her mouth. "How do you think the inhabitants of Castle Town will fare without a ruler? Zelda has never been officially named queen, but for all intent and purpose, she is."

"They'll fare the same as always," Link answered slowly. He hadn't given that a thought until now. "When her court finds out that she's missing they would be wise not to tell anyone about her absence. Everyone trusts and depends on Princess Zelda, just her presence is enough to assure everyone in Hyrule of their safety. If word leaked about this, the town would be-"

They had reached the end of the corridor separating the town from the castle and the sight before them had shocked Link into silence.

To say Castle Town was in disarray would be an understatement. When they stepped out of the corridor that blocked out the hustle and bustle of the town, they were hit by a wall of noise. Unlike the pleasant, friendly sounds the town square usually overflowed with, screams and wails filled the air. Bodies of either dead or unconscious citizens lay on the ground, and several shop faces were singed or smoking.

"-would be in ruins..."

Anger bubbled up inside of Link; a red mist obscured his vision. It wasn't enough for Ganondorf to kidnap the Princess? He had to lay total waste to the town as well? He had drawn his sword without realizing it and had moved into a battle stance. He was going to kill Ganondorf, no matter what it took.

His vision cleared when Midna put her hand on his shoulder. "Link, put your sword away. Ganondorf is long gone, and you'll only scare someone."

Link took a few deep breathes and sheathed his sword. "Goddesses, what happened here?" He looked to Midna as if she had the answer.

The Twilight Princess shook her head. "How can Ganondorf have this much power? The town is just..." She shook her head again and began to walk purposefully through the square.

"Midna," Link shook off his shock and tried to keep up with her, "we can't just leave. These people need help."

Midna stopped so suddenly that Link bumped into her. When she turned to face him her eyes were troubled. "What do you suggest we do, Link?" She sounded annoyed, impatient.

"...I-"

"The best thing we can do right now is to find Zelda and stop Ganondorf. If we waste time here he will just become stronger and cause more damage. I don't want to leave these people suffering, but it will be our fault if they are brought even more pain because we dawdle."

Link could hardly consider leaving the town in such a state. "It will be pointless to stop Ganondorf if there is no one left for him to control."

"Castle Town is not the only place in peril! Don't you see? Both your world and mine are in danger. If Ganondorf is already this powerful, then Din only knows what he'll be like when he finds that weapon of darkness. We need to go _now_!" She turned and left Link to follow.

Link knew she was right, though, so he did follow and tried to avoid looking at the grisly scene around them.

They were silent until they reached the east road, the road to Hyrule Field. A scene, more curious than the one in the town square, met them.

This road was more or less unscathed and unoccupied save for a young woman. The curiosity, however, was where the gate to Hyrule Field should have been. It looked like someone had ripped a jagged hole in the air; a dark opening that went from the cobblestone road up to where the gate would have ended was present and glowing ominously.

"What the-"

"H-help! Help, please!" The woman struggled to her feet and stumbled over to them. She was clutching her arm and blood was visible between her fingers.

"What happened here?" Link put his arm around the woman's shoulders to steady her.

"I-I don't know. My husband and I w-were just shopping and a man came out of the castle. He was dragging Princess Zelda with him, and she was trying to get away. Someone tried to stop him, but... but..."

"Yes?" Midna spoke more gently than she had a moment before.

"He just laughed. And then... He put one of his hands in the air and it started glowing. T-then it was like the whole world exploded." The woman began to cry. "There was smoke, and screaming, and I couldn't see anything. Something hit my arm, and my husband helped me here... But there- there was this thing in the way of the exit. He went near it, but as soon as he touched it-" The woman stopped, seemingly unable to continue through her tears.

Link helped her sit down, and after a few breaths the woman was able to continue. "As soon as he touched it, he disappeared."

Link and Midna exchanged glances. It sounded like a portal, but to the Shadow Realm? Link patted the woman on the back and stood up. He took a few hesitant steps toward the portal and looked back at Midna.

"It could be a trap," she came beside him. "A block to stop the people from escaping."

"It might be a portal to the Shadow Realm," Link offered.

"We don't have much of a choice but to- Link, your sword is glowing."

He unsheathed his sword and, as Midna said, light was enveloping it. As Link stared at it, the light spread to his hand and up his arm as well. He took another step toward the darkness and the light shone brighter. It had to be a portal to the Shadow Realm; his sword wouldn't react to a trap like this. it's like the light was reacting to its opposite.

He took two more steps, and the darkness was within arm length. He squinted against the bright light that was shining off of him, and reached his sword out to the void.

"Link, wait!" Midna's hand on his arm stopped him. "Don't try this alone, I'll-" She gasped, and one look told him why. Light was spreading to her hand the same way it had to Link's. In a few moments she was completely enveloped in light.

Link resumed raising his sword and stuck it into the void. It vibrated in his hand, but passed through easily. He pulled it back, almost expecting it to be broken. When he saw it was whole, he looked at Midna. They both nodded silently and stepped closer to the portal.

"We will look for your husband," Midna assured the woman before they went through. She tightened her grip on Link's arm, and said quietly, "Link, I'm sorry for snapping at you before. I wanted to tell you, you know, just in case."

Feeling it would be better not to answer, Link nodded.

He took a deep breath, and they simultaneously stepped into darkness.


End file.
